[JeffS.]

I've always wondered, do African Americans sunburn, and if so, how might it be possible to tell?

User Detail :  

Name : JeffS., Gender : Male, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, Age : 31, City : Bremerton, State : WA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[JessicaJ]

Yes, African-Americans can sunburn. I'm black, and because I'm also somewhat fair-skinned, I don't tan well, I burn, and it looks just like when white people get sunburn...red and maybe blistery, then possible peeling and maybe concluding in a tan. The black people I know who are a good amount darker than I am tend to tan rather than burn, and all it means is that they get darker in complexion on exposed skin, just like white people. But as an aside, even darker-skinned African-Americans have to worry about the dangers of the sun. I have relatives who are brown skinned who have fought skin cancer due to a mixture of genetics and sun exposure.

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Name : JessicaJ, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 20, City : Columbus, State : OH Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[KimHines]

Black people come in all shades and hues...we can be albino and blue-black and all the colors in-between. The fairer the skin the more propensity to burn when out in the sun for a good length of time without sunscreen. However, some darker shades burn as well. I'm medium brown and my father is perhaps 2 to 3 shades darker...if out in the sun too longer he burns. I've never gotten sunburned--but I do freckle(!)

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Name : KimHines, City : Minneapolis, State : CA Country : United States, 

[DuaneD]

LOL, yea, black people do burn. Both my mom and I are very dark. She burnt and didn't know what was going on. When she went through emergency, they told her she was burnt. She couldn't believe it. She was peeling and in pain. Her dermatologist told her that black American skin is different than African skin through so much mixing. We don't deal with the sun like Africans. The texture of our skin is different and more prone to burning. When I burned, I didn't panic about it. I just broke off the aloe. We both have to wear sunblock though.

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Name : DuaneD, Sexual Orientation : Gay, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Secular Humanist, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 

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